In 1972, Disney re-released Song of the South, which reignited public interest in Driscoll, the smiling little boy in the film that brought Disney back from the verge of bankruptcy. As a result, Driscoll received very little work from 1952 onwards. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Towards the end of 1963, Bobby met Sharon "Didi" Morrill, and their relationship took off in an instant. Free delivery for many products! He had no identification. ", If there's one thing Allender hopes to achieve with his documentary (besides clearance from Disney to include old movie clips), it's a place for Driscoll in Disney Legendsthe studio's version of a Hall of Fame. In connection with the re-release of Song of the South in 1971, reporters researching the whereabouts of the film's star first reported his death. The story of this child actor, who starred in films like Song of the South and Peter Pan, is a heart-wrenching one. Hughes probably didnt expect much of a reaction, but he couldnt have been more wrong. Does anyone here even know the name at the center of those five points? Here are details about the life he lived. "They told him he was no longer able to come to the studio. It was so popular that Driscoll reprised his role the following year for a radio adaption of the movie. Bobby Driscoll, Peter Votrian and Claude Akins star in "Laughter is a Boy," 1954 medical drama about a boy who is bullied because of a speech defect. In fact, he did not have his health either as he was diagnosed with hepatitis following persistent substance abuse. The new Disney+ film evokes the devastating story of Bobby Driscoll, who earned an Oscar and played Peter Pan as a child before being discarded as a teenager. While on a tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. Some people can't get out of it. Driscoll and Luana Patten were the first two actors Walt Disney placed under contract. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. There, his grades dropped substantially, he was the target of ridicule for his previous film career, and he began to take drugs. As Driscolls personality deteriorated, his marriage suffered. And then I immersed myself into his extensive collection of work. He wasn't really part of the crowd," says Eliot, who remembers seeing Driscoll in the '60s in a Greenwich Village club. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. ", The most promising tribute to Driscoll is Lost Boy: The Bobby Driscoll Story, a long-gestating documentary in the works by Jordan Allender, a 30-year-old film-school graduate who was raised on Disney lore. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. The Window (1949) is the story of a young lad with a wandering imagination. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Disney put a lot of faith into Driscoll for the film, and it definitely paid off. "We were buddies," said Gray. It was horrible what happened to him.". TIL of Bobby Driscoll, famous Disney child actor in the 1940s and 50s (including the voice of Peter Pan), who died penniless and alone at age 31 in an abandoned NYC building. March 3, 1937: Bobby Driscoll is born in Cedar Rapids, IA. Former Disney child star Bobby Driscoll rose to fame at age 9 as "the first human being signed for Disney Productions.". Additional screen portrayals included the boy who could blow his whistle while standing on his head in Sunday Dinner for a Soldier, the "child brother" of Richard Arlen in The Big Bonanza (both 1944), and young Percy Maxim in So Goes My Love (1946),[5] with Don Ameche and Myrna Loy. Occasionally, the director overdoes things a bit in striving for shock effectsBut "The Window" is Bobby Driscoll's picture, make no mistake about that. A severe case of acne accompanying the onset of puberty,[27] explaining why it was necessary for Driscoll to use heavy makeup for his performances on dozens of TV shows, was officially provided as the final reason for the termination of his connection with the Disney Studios. "Obviously he was sick and an addict and broke. He served as the animation model and provided the voice for the title role in Peter Pan (1953). Actor: Peter Pan. The director was left impressed by the young boy's intelligence and curiosity and gave him the role as he came out on top over 40 candidates. In October 1959, Bobby was convicted on charges of narcotics but was later declared not guilty. 30S STAR ELISSA LANDI LEFT HOLLYWOOD FOR THIS REASON, BOOK REVEALS: I WASTED 7 GOOD YEARS OF MY LIFE THERE, Bobby Driscoll was the voice of Peter Pan in the 1953 film. "It hit him hard. Christopher jones denison iowa. [63] He also received the Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954 for his work on television and radio. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. After taking one look at Driscolls adorable little freckled face, the barbers son got Driscoll an acting agent. In no time at all I was using whatever was availablemostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it., Driscoll estimated that he spent more than $100,000 of his earnings and confessed that he had damaged his most important relationships. He passed away at the age of 31 on March 30, 1968. "He went to his own public school when he was not working. In 1972, the matriarch described to Movie Digest how drugs changed her son. Beside his body were two empty bottles of beer and a number of religious tracts. Movies. After failing to locate his next of kin, authorities declared the man dead from hardening of the arteriesa common side effect of longtime heroin abuseand buried him in a mass, unmarked paupers' grave on the Bronx's Hart Island alongside other unidentified bodies and indigent souls who had fallen on hard times. He was the only child to parents Cletus, an insulation salesman, and Isabelle, a former schoolteacher. For the next two years, Driscoll continued to find work in film, television, and voice acting. The medical examiner determined the cause of death as "socclusive coronary arteriosclerosis," or hardening of the arteries. "Bobby was a curiosity. ", Driscoll then started to spend time in Topanga Canyon with Beat Generation artist/photographer Wallace Berman and began dabbling in verse. "We just don't know where." Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. I was 17 when I first experimented with the stuff. During the middle of production, authorities discovered that Driscoll did not have a valid British work permit. The former actor also turned to heroin to find solace. Some of his works were considered outstanding,[52][53] and a few of his surviving collages and cardboard mailers were temporarily exhibited in Los Angeles at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. "I heard that he was informed that he was no longer under contract through them by driving up to the entrance and being refused entrance into the studio. Driscoll and his wife separated, then officially divorced in 1960. I later heard he was discovered overdosed in an abandoned building. Ken Goldins Family: His Wife, Daughter Lauras Age, and Son! By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After dating for a while, the couple soon embraced each other as husband and wife. . It's also the final resting place of Bobby Driscoll, who became a household name at the age of 9 with a starring role in Disney's controversial Song of the South. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. Once Driscoll's corpse went uncollected, he was placed in an abandoned pauper's grave in New York City'sPotter's Field on Hart Island. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "He was very lovely," adds Kathryn Beaumont, 82, who starred opposite Driscoll as the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan. Prison sentences were the kiss of death for Hollywood actors in those days, so after briefly working as a carpenter, Driscoll left his young children behind and moved to New York City in 1965,. It would take even longer for word to reach the public at large, as news of the Disney star's passing only surfaced four years after the fact, during the rerelease of Song of the South in 1972. Despite the obstacles presented to Driscoll during production, Treasure Island was an international smash hit. In his new life at the public Westwood University High School, where he graduated in 1955, Driscoll's previous stardom all of a sudden was more of a liability than rewarding. Driscoll even had the honor of voicing Goofy Jr. in two Disney cartoon shorts, Fathers are People and Fathers Lion. Driscolls mother had said she did not learn of her sons death until almost two years later, after she listed advertisements in newspapers hoping to find him. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the . He appeared in a variety of anthology and drama series, such as Dragnet (a crime drama) and Medic (the OG medical drama). [14][15], Driscoll was cast to play Jim Hawkins in Walt Disney's version of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (1950), with British actor Robert Newton as Long John Silver, the studio's first all-live-action picture. Bobby Driscoll. When Driscoll left Chino in early 1962, he was unable to find acting work. Driscoll portrayed Robert "Bibi" Bonnard in Richard Fleischer's comedy The Happy Time (1952), which was based on a Broadway play of the same name by Samuel A. Taylor. Id never been so happy in my entire life. In Driscoll's later years, he was arrested multiple times for drug possession, assault, burglary and check-kiting before he was committed for drug rehabilitationin 1961. In New York City, Driscoll attempted to revive his career through Broadway. "I was carried on a silver platter and then dumped into the garbage can. He also had smaller roles in movies such as Identity Unknown (1945) and Miss Susie Slagle's, From This Day Forward, and O.S.S. In addition to his brief guest appearance in Walt Disney's first television Christmas show in 1950, One Hour in Wonderland, Driscoll lent his voice to Goofy, Jr. in the Disney cartoon shorts "Fathers are People" and "Father's Lion", which were released in 1951 and 1952, respectively. Howard Hughes, an American investor that bought out RKO, thought the film was unworthy of release. To make things worse, he completely dismissed Driscoll, and thought of the young boy as not much of an actor. As a result, Driscolls film wasnt released until the following year, in May of 1949. Sweet Pete hops onto a treadmill to outline his origin story at an easy three-mph walk. Format. There were no obvious signs of foul play. The only son of a salesman and a former schoolteacher, he simply went in for a haircut one day and ended up meeting an agent. On another series, Men of Annapolis, he appeared with John Smith, future second husband of Driscoll's Song of the South co-star, Luana Patten. Next image. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. It's a very sad story, but, you know, take a look at A Star Is Born. Unlike the celebrity missteps that are chronicled hourly on news sites and social media today, Driscoll's demise happened in complete and total silence. Bobby Driscoll suffered a tragic life after Disney dropped him. "Before he went on narcotics he almost never cried. Thanks for your time! [35] He said later, "The other kids didn't accept me. Continued Eliot, Walt approved production of a live-action version of Treasure Island, to be shot on location in England, with fourteen-year-old Bobby Driscoll, Disneys favorite live-action child star, in the principal role.. Sometime in 1961, Bobby moved to Topanga Canyon, where the former actor and his girlfriend Suzanne Stansbury were arrested for stealing money from an animal clinic. When they rejected me, I fought back, became belligerent and cockyand was afraid all the time. The cause of death for the penniless 31-year-old was hardening of the arteries, a common side effect of longtime heroin use, Entertainment Weekly reported. [47], He was charged with disturbing the peace and assault with a deadly weapon, the latter after hitting one of two hecklers with a pistol who had made insulting remarks while he was washing a girlfriend's car; the charges were dropped.[48]. According to Entertainment Weekly, he left home at age 16 and headed to New York City to study acting. Other studios quickly saw Driscolls potential too, and the boy soon had more roles than he knew what to do with. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. For a short time, Driscoll did everything he could to rehabilitate his image. I heard that he was informed that he was no longer under contract through them by driving up to the entrance and being refused entrance into the studio. While those roles got Driscolls acting career rolling, it was his next role that took the little boys career to the next level. [54][55], In 1965, early in his tenure at the Factory, Driscoll gave his last known film performance, in experimental filmmaker Piero Heliczer's underground movie Dirt. He was a child actor who had starred in several films after being discovered at a barbershop at the age of five in . https://twitter.com/snailsgotmail/status/1218039756417880064. . Even more amazingly, Driscoll became the first male to portray Peter on film. He'd been too good. ", The split was devastating. Whatever Warhols reasons were, Driscoll produced some outstanding pieces of art while working at The Factory, and for a short while, Driscolls life took a positive turn. My personality had suffered during my marriage and I was trying to recoup it. He was born Robert Cletus Driscoll in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the only child of Cletus (1901-1969), an insulation salesman, and Isabelle ( ne Kratz; 1904-1981), a former schoolteacher. he says of Driscoll's drug use. The one where EW follows up with the cast. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. According to him, his personality took a turn for the worse during his marriage, and his dwindling career soon followed suit. It was incredible. As a result, the city buried Driscolls unclaimed body in an unmarked paupers grave on Hart Island. Additional Crew: Long Lost Daughter. Unfortunately, Driscoll could not escape the shadows of his past and ended up dropping out of both prestigious universities. Released in early 1962, rehabilitated and ready to make a return, regardless of his past as a criminal and convicted drug addict, Bobby was overlooked by the same community that had once supported and nourished him. "I do remember living in Pacific Palisades in a house that my dad owned andseeing a bunch of pot on the table. From 1944 to 1946, Driscoll found work in films that needed a cute, gifted little boy. Gray said Driscoll eventually resorted to heroin. Driscoll, 1944. Thats when he became belligerent. Bobby Driscoll was a child actor in the 40s and 50s who was the first child actor contracted to Disney, with Driscoll acting in movies such as Song of the South, Treasure Island, and, most famously, Disney's Peter Pan as the titular character. "We found out his son was in the movies, and his son got me an appointment with his agent. ", Eliot has a far more sobering rationale. So for Bobby Driscoll, it's the perfect place to be buried. In 1965, a year after his parole expired, Driscoll made the decision to relocate to New York City. Gray said he and his pal lost touch when Driscoll headed to New York. The film was incredibly receivedbut in an ironic twist, its success ended up being Driscolls downfall. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Prison sentences were the kiss of death for Hollywood actors in those days, so after briefly working as a carpenter, Driscoll left his young children behind and moved to New York City in 1965, where he forged an unlikely relationship with, of all people, Andy Warhol. The news was absolutely devastating. By the time Driscoll voiced Peter Pan at 16, however, he no longer had the impish face that kept him gainfully employed as a youth. Afterward, he was crying all the time. Why film and TV scribes are preparing to stop workand how a potential strike could change everything. The Florida governor has taken his authoritarian ambitions to new heights. Visit Celebs In-depth for more interesting Biography and details on Celeb Life. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. More to come in the book :) <3 By the end of 1967, Driscoll broke up with Didi. "I thought it would be incredible," says Tamblyn, who is believed to have some of Driscoll's creations from his bohemian days. In 1950, the young actor landed the Acamedy Juveline Award for his impressive performances on So Dear to My Heart (1949) and The Window (1949). From there on, his life turned into a shocking mess with neither fame nor money on his account. "I became a beatnik and a bum," Driscoll said in the 1961 magazine article. He reportedly enrolled in UCLA and Stanford but ended up dropping out of both because he couldn't find his way. "I wish I could say that my childhood was a happy one, but I wouldn't be honest," he said in a 1961 magazine article titled "The Nightmare Life of an Ex-Child Star." Two kids discovered his body lyingonacot,dispersedtotheground withtwoemptybeerbottlesandreligiousbrochures. A Promising Beginning. Still determined to become an actor, Driscoll left his parents home at 16. Driscoll attempted to maintain steady work in several TV shows and guest appearances over the years, but he never achieved the same stardom he once had as a sought-after actor. The young boy had it all, but unfortunately, his snafu with the British authorities had a bigger impact on his career than Driscoll couldve imagined. In no time I was using whatever was available mostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it.
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